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a plain bowl of creamy ham and potato chowder with small irregular pink shredded ham pieces and tender red-skin potato cubes, with no ham bones, cheese, corn, bacon strips or garnish
Rachel Kim

Ham and Potato Chowder

Start with smoked ham hocks and let the stock-making stage take its time before adding the potatoes. The meat is ready when it pulls easily from the bones, which is a different test from simply reaching a minimum temperature. Strain the broth, remove excess fat and cut the picked ham into small pieces. Red potatoes keep their skins and soften in that broth before a little mashing and dairy turn it into chowder. Ham hocks vary in saltiness, so the recipe starts with water and leaves added salt out; you can taste the finished broth before deciding whether your particular batch needs any.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 lbs meaty smoked ham hocks
  • 8 cups water plus enough to restore strained stock to 5 cups
  • 1 medium yellow onion quartered
  • 2 celery stalks cut into large pieces
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 2 lbs red potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Method
 

  1. Place ham hocks, stock water, onion, celery and bay leaf in a large pot. Bring to a simmer, skim foam, cover partly and simmer gently for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the meat pulls easily from the bones, adding a little of the adjustment water if needed to keep hocks mostly covered.
  2. Lift hocks onto a tray. Strain the broth into a clean pot, discard vegetables and bay leaf, skim excess fat and measure 5 cups stock, adding water if needed.
  3. Pull the ham from the bones once cool enough to handle. Discard bones, skin and tough connective tissue and cut the meat into small pieces.
  4. Add potatoes and pepper to the measured stock. Simmer for 18 to 22 minutes until tender, then mash about one-quarter of the potatoes directly in the pot to thicken the broth.
  5. Fold in ham, milk and cream and warm gently for 5 minutes until steaming without boiling hard. Divide among 6 bowls.